The Gun Control Debate on Sunday Morning Talk Shows
From the Hill newspaper:
President Obama on Sunday said he would make gun control a priority in his new term, pledging to put his “full weight” behind passing new restrictions on firearms in 2013.
“I'm going to be putting forward a package and I'm going to be putting my full weight behind it,” said Obama in an interview aired on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I'm going to be making an argument to the American people about why this is important and why we have to do everything we can to make sure that something like what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary does not happen again.” . . .From the LA Times:
. . . . Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) clashed sharply over Feinstein’s proposal to ban military-style assault weapons.“The question comes, what do we do about the growing sophistication of military weapons on the streets of our cities?” Feinstein said. . . .Howard Kurtz notes how differently David Gregory interviewed Wayne LaPierre and Obama.
Feinstein has proposed a prohibition on the type of semi-automatic rifles used in the Newtown shooting and other recent mass killings, adding that her bill would be much tougher than the loophole-ridden assault weapons ban in place from 1994-2004. Assault rifles already in circulation would remain legal, but the owners would have to register them and become licensed. Her bill also would ban high-capacity magazines.
Limiting guns is precisely the wrong answer, Graham responded.
Crime is at record lows in part because guns are more widespread than ever, he said. He endorsed the proposal by the National Rifle Assn. to put armed guards in every school. He said he owns an AR-15, the type of semi-automatic rifled used by Adam Lanza in the Newtown school shooting.
“What she is proposing is a massive intervention,” Graham said. “Gun sales are up, and crime is down. You’re not going to be able to stop mass murderers with no criminal record just by taking my AR-15 and making me pay $200 and get my fingerprints and say I can’t buy another one.
"The best solution to protect children is to have somebody there to stop the shooter, not get everybody’s gun in the country." . . .
He pressed Barack Obama on a few points in the president’s appearance this morning, designed to seize control of the media narrative one day before the fiscal cliff deadline. But this was not the armed-and-dangerous Gregory we saw last week when he faced down NRA chief Wayne LaPierre. . . .UPDATE: Claim is that Feinstein's gun control bill will be introduced on January 22nd. From Feinstein's website on January 5th. Links to highlighted material here and here.
Asking about Obama’s line that the Republicans don’t like saying yes to him, the host asked: “What is it about you, Mr. President, that you think is so hard to say yes to?” (No soul-searching followed as Obama gave a programmatic answer.) Once he had exhausted his cliff questions, Gregory moved on to second-term priorities, bringing up guns: “You know how hard this is. Do you have the stomach for the political fight for new gun control laws.”
There were also questions on Benghazi and the nomination for secretary of State, with Gregory asking: “Do you feel like you let your friend Susan Rice hang out there to dry a little bit?” . . .
Labels: assaultweaponsban, DianneFeinstein, GunControl, mediabias, Newtown Attack, ObamaGunControl
posted by John Lott at 4:16 PM
5 Comments:
"...the growing sophistication of military weapons on the streets of our cities?” Feinstein said. . . ."
Didn't she use that same, tired old line for her ban back in '94? The AR-15's method of operation hasn't changed since the 1950's. Apparently, Dianne Feinstein's mind hasn't changed since then either. Where did this woman come from? California doesn't explain her weirdness. She has a weirdness all her own. What planet is she from?
Motorcyclists had a problem in the past, with a Senator wanting to limit all motorcycles to 100hp.
Once the motorcyclists demonstrated that the bikes that were crashing the most, were the ones that were the most popular, the Senator went away.
The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America these days. Naturally, it shows up at crime scenes more than other guns. The AR-15 is what's for dinner.
The motorcyclist issue is mentioned in this video, though it‘s also generally informative about two wheels, and life in general. They‘re just racers, great racers really, but even they have learned to quantify:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1rlQ0NmbWs
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The AR-15 is not a "military weapon" either. It is for the Nth time SEMI-AUTOMATIC.
The weapon issued to our military (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_carbine) is "selective fire" and is therefore already covered in the National Firearms Act of 1968 as a Title II weapon.
Stupid bleeding-heart unthinking political robots. Too bad they have so much power over our lives.
I recall from my high school American History class that the Bill of Rights (not just the 2nd Ammendment)recognized previously existing rights(God given, for the theologically inclined). The 2nd Ammendment having to do with the natural, rational right of self defense. The AR-15 type weapon is primarily in that category (and not for hunting). And, it is certainly a weapon of choice in defending a home, ranch or store. [eg. Korean shopkeepers, LA riots, etc.].
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